Miniaturized motors with dielectric rotors in an enveloping medium that can be set into rotation via several electrodes/GEO 10 (1988) 188, U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,410, are known as dieletric motors. Continuously or discontinuously rotating electric fields are employed for this purpose. Linear motions by dielectrics in electrical fields are described in textbooks under the heading electrophoresis, dielectrophoresis, respectively general ponderomotoric effects Greiner, Theor. Physik Bd. 3, Vlg. H. Deutsch, Thun & Frankfurt a.M., (1982), Pohl, Dielectrophoresis, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge-London-New York-Melbourne, (1978). Landau & Lifschitz, Bd. 1, Akademie-Vlg. Berlin, (1973). The pondermotoric effect is utilized to collect floating particles in air filter devices or to collect cells in biology. Devices of this type work with or more electrodes and a direct current and alternating current electric field. Use of linearly progressing field vectors is not known in this connection. Use of dielectric miniature elements, apart from dielectric motors, has not been described. Linearly progressing magnetic field vectors, on the other hand, are known in connection with electric induction effects and induction field motors Guldner, Electronica Bd. 238, Militarverlag der DDR, (1987). The disadvantage of dielectric micromechanic elements is the small force while, however, also having minimal currents. Their extreme possible miniaturization has not been recognized as an advantage (GEO 10 (1988), 188) until recent years.
An object of the present invention is to provide a cost-effective dielectric micromechanical element possessing universal possible application in microelectronics.